UA to mark 50th anniversary of 'Stand in the Schoolhouse Door'

In this June 11, 1963 file photo, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach orders Governor George C. Wallace to step away from the door during Wallace's "Stand in the Schoolhouse door." Wallace raises his hand in a futile attempt to stop Katzenbach from bringing two black students to register at the University of Alabama.

File Photo

By Stephanie TaylorStaff Writer

Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 2:08 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 2:08 p.m.

Nearly 50 years have passed since the first black students enrolled at the University of Alabama after Gov. George Wallace's infamous “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.”

The university will recognize the Civil Rights milestone with a year of events highlighting the school's progress during the last half-century and looking ahead to the future.

Programs, seminars, speakers and other events will focus on the theme of “Through the Doors.” Arthur Dunning, a professor and senior research fellow at UA and his wife, Professor Karen Baynes Dunning, are co-chairs of the 50th Anniversary Committee. Arthur Dunning, one of the first black students to enroll at the school, spoke at a press conference held in the lobby of Foster Auditorium this morning.

“This was not just a legal issue, it was a moral issue,” he said, just yards away from where Wallace blocked students Vivian Malone and James Hood from entering to register for classes on June 11, 1963, nine years after the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled school segregation unconstitutional. “It was one of the deepest and most profound changes in the history of the state of Alabama as well as the University of Alabama. It's important to look back not only at what happened, but to understand the implications of what we need to be doing for the future.”

Dunning enrolled in 1966, just a year after Jim Crow laws ended.

“You could still feel it in the community. You could feel it in the state of Alabama and indeed feel it on this campus,” he said. “I was treated almost as an invisible person. I spent a lot of my free time at Stillman College.

“I did not expect to be welcomed or embraced here. That was not the nature of the 1960s in Alabama. I came not only for educational reasons, but also for the understanding that this campus must be open to all Alabamians to truly be called the University of Alabama.”

Dunning went on to earn three degrees from UA and during his career served as senior vice-chancellor for human and external resources for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, vice-president for public service and outreach at the University of Georgia and as vice-chancellor for the UA System. He is now a professor and senior research fellow in the Education Policy Center at UA. He said that being asked to co-chair the 50th Anniversary committee is the pinnacle of his career.

Dunning said that as a state, Alabama faces challenges in education, health care and economic development.

“If we really want to strengthen this state, we've got to look at some of the foundational aspects of that. What we're trying to do with this celebration is to not only take a look back but also answer the questions of what are the implications of that past for the future.”

He said that he hopes the planned events and featured speakers will highlight how the university community can move forward.

“I'd like to see a speaker who can help us not be held hostage by the past and give us a sense of what we need to be thinking about for the future,” he said. “The future is coming at us very fast.”

A website launched today will provide information about the planned events: http://www.throughthedoors.ua.edu/

<p>Nearly 50 years have passed since the first black students enrolled at the University of Alabama after Gov. George Wallace's infamous “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.”</p><p>The university will recognize the Civil Rights milestone with a year of events highlighting the school's progress during the last half-century and looking ahead to the future.</p><p>Programs, seminars, speakers and other events will focus on the theme of “Through the Doors.” Arthur Dunning, a professor and senior research fellow at UA and his wife, Professor Karen Baynes Dunning, are co-chairs of the 50th Anniversary Committee. Arthur Dunning, one of the first black students to enroll at the school, spoke at a press conference held in the lobby of Foster Auditorium this morning.</p><p>“This was not just a legal issue, it was a moral issue,” he said, just yards away from where Wallace blocked students Vivian Malone and James Hood from entering to register for classes on June 11, 1963, nine years after the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled school segregation unconstitutional. “It was one of the deepest and most profound changes in the history of the state of Alabama as well as the University of Alabama. It's important to look back not only at what happened, but to understand the implications of what we need to be doing for the future.”</p><p>Dunning enrolled in 1966, just a year after Jim Crow laws ended.</p><p>“You could still feel it in the community. You could feel it in the state of Alabama and indeed feel it on this campus,” he said. “I was treated almost as an invisible person. I spent a lot of my free time at Stillman College. </p><p>“I did not expect to be welcomed or embraced here. That was not the nature of the 1960s in Alabama. I came not only for educational reasons, but also for the understanding that this campus must be open to all Alabamians to truly be called the University of Alabama.”</p><p>Dunning went on to earn three degrees from UA and during his career served as senior vice-chancellor for human and external resources for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, vice-president for public service and outreach at the University of Georgia and as vice-chancellor for the UA System. He is now a professor and senior research fellow in the Education Policy Center at UA. He said that being asked to co-chair the 50th Anniversary committee is the pinnacle of his career.</p><p>Dunning said that as a state, Alabama faces challenges in education, health care and economic development.</p><p>“If we really want to strengthen this state, we've got to look at some of the foundational aspects of that. What we're trying to do with this celebration is to not only take a look back but also answer the questions of what are the implications of that past for the future.”</p><p>He said that he hopes the planned events and featured speakers will highlight how the university community can move forward. </p><p>“I'd like to see a speaker who can help us not be held hostage by the past and give us a sense of what we need to be thinking about for the future,” he said. “The future is coming at us very fast.”</p><p>A website launched today will provide information about the planned events: http://www.throughthedoors.ua.edu/</p><p>Reach Stephanie Taylor at stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0210.</p>